Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



I Patented Oct. 23, I900. S. G. PRESTON & I. F. J. McKINSTER.

MAIL BAG CATCHER AND DELIVEBEB.

Applicatiozi filed m. 29, 1900.; (N0 Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OF I E.

SOUTH e. PRESTON, on CATLETTSBURG, AND IRA F. .l. MOKINSTER, or GRAYSON, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,122, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed March 29, 1900- Serial No 10,632. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that we, SOUTH G. PRESTON, residing at Oatlettsburg, in the county of Boyd, and IRA F. J. MGKINSTER, residing at Grayson, in the county of Carter, State of Kentucky, citizens of the United States, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mail Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers and deliverers used in connection with the delivery of mail during the movement of the mail-cars, this invention being of such construction as to deliver and receive mail-bags at a continuous operation while the car is passing a given point.

One object of the invention is to minimize the wear of the mail-bags and the elements of the combination; furthermore, to reduce the liability of injuring the mail-bag catcher and deliverer, surrounding objects, or persons. Furthermore, an object of the invention is to produce a mail-bag catcher and deliver which can be applied to the mail-cranes now in use, thus making the change comparatively inexpensive.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aviewin elevation of a mail-bag catcher and deliverer embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rings for embracing and supporting the mail-bags. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a fragment of the device shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the arm of the car.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the standard,

which is stationed near the side of the roadbed of a railway.

2 is a support and guide in the general shape of a horseshoe, which embraces the top of the standard and issecured thereto in such position that the upper surface of the support and guide is in a plane with the top surface of the standard. The support and guide is provided with upturned lugs 3 at each end. An arm 4 has one end pivotally connected to the standard by means of the bolt 5. The arm 4 is free to swing over the segment bounded by the two lugs 3, and it is our purpose to provide said lugs with a facing b, of rubber or other material, that the jar incident to the impact of the arm 4 may be absorbed.

The arm 4 carries on its outer end a receiving and delivering auxiliary arm 7, one end of which is bifurcated, as at 8. The bifurcated sections have recesses 9 on their upper surfaces. The opposite end of the auxiliary arm is tapered and has an undercutnotch 10, forming a guard to prevent displacement of rings (to be hereinafter described) carrying the mail-bag. The auxiliary arm is pivoted in place and is capable of being turned to point in opposite directions, it being necessary that the reduced end point toward the approaching train, so that the ring carrying the bag will be deposited on the reduced end and at the same time that a ring carrying another bag may be removed from the bifurcated end.

We find it desirable to'have a spring-pressed bolt 11 seated in the auxiliary arm for the purpose of engaging the main arm to prevent accidental swinging or turning of the auxiliary arm when-set. It is also a great advantage to have a series of notches 12 in the upper surface of the support and guide. A spring-pressed catch is seated in the arm above the said support, the nose of said catch being beveled, so that it will come out of the recesses when pressed slightly. By this arrangement accidental displacement is prevented, yet the arm is free to swing, thus permitting it to yield whenv the bags are caught. The purpose of the side notches is to retain the arm when it has swung around against the'buffers, that said arm may not oscillate or extend in proximity to the track until another bag has been applied and it is time to operate in conjunction with the apparatus on a mail-car.

It will be understood that the means for retaining the auxiliary arm in its adjusted position and that the retaining means for the seams main arm may be greatly modified, it being understood that We do not wish to limit ourselves to the means illustrated.

As shown in Fig. 3, the ring a is solid and the lower ring, which interlocks therewith, is

formed in two sections 1) and 0, having their ends connected by looping the wire to form a son the auxiliary arm is incorrectly adjusted, 1;

the impact of the apparatus on the mail-car would cause the auxiliary arm to turn on its The section 0 is V-shaped 3 pivot and the bag would be released not-v withstanding said wrong adjustment, and owing to the fact that the main arm is also pivoted there would be no breaking or damage to the apparatus, as the main arm would swing around until it contacted with one of the buffers, where it would be held by the retaining device.

On the cross-beam of the catcher of the mailcar we have provided springs formed of a single piece of wire bent on itself to form approximately a V shape, Ihe free ends being embedded in the ends of the catcher, forming a torsion-spring. Since the ends of the the beam, the ring is inserted thereunder. In

practice it will be seen that this spring bearing against the rings carrying the mail-bag will prevent accidental displacement of the} bag from the catcher of the mail-car. 1

Having thus fully described our invention, 1 what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, a standard, a support" and guide, lugs on each end of the support and guide, an arm pivotally connected to the standard and an auxiliary arm pivoted to the first-named arm, as and for the purpose de- 5 g by looping the wire to form a hinge-joint on 105 scribed.

2. In combination, a standard, a support and guide, an arm pivotally connected to the .1 standard, lugs on each end of the support and I guide, an auxiliary arm pivoted to the firstnamed arm, and means for preventing the accidental displacement of both the arms.

3. A mail-bag catcher and deliverer comprising a standard, a support and guide approximately the shape of a horseshoe secured to the standard on a plane with the upper t. mail-bag catcher and deliverer coni- :prising a standard, a support and guide approximately the shape of a horseshoe secured to the standard on a plane with the upper surface thereof, upturned lugs at each end of the support and guide, an arm having one end pivoted to the standard and having a second arm pivoted to its free end, and means for preventing the accidental displacement of both the arms.

5. In combination, a standard, a support and guide, upturned lugs on each end of the supportand guide, a facing of rubber or other suitable material on the lugs, an arm having one end pivoted to the standard and having a second arm pivoted to its free end, and means for preventing theaccidental displacement of both the arms.

6. In combination, astandard, a suitablyshaped support and guide secured thereto on a plane with the upper surface of the standard, said support and guide having notches in its upper surface, lugs on each end of the support and guide, an arm having one end pivoted to the standard, a spring-pressed catch on the under surface of said arm adapted to engage one of the notches of the support,the nose of said catch being Lbeveled, an auxiliary arm pi voted to the .free endof the first-named arm, and a spring-pressed bolt seated in said auxiliary arm adapted to engage the said firstnamed arm, as and for the purpose described.

7. A mail catcher comprising an arm, a cross-beam attached to the outer end thereof, and springs on either end of the cross-beam, said springs comprising a single piece of wire bent on itself to form an approximately V shape, the free ends being embedded in the catcher.

8. In combination with a deviceof the char- 100 acter described, supporting-rings consisting of an upper solid ring and a lower ring in two sections interlocking therewith; the sections of the lower ring having their ends connected one side while the opposite ends are hooked together and the lower section of the lower ring being V-shaped, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signano tures in the presence of witnesses.

SOUTH G. PRESTON. IRA F. J. MOKINS'IER. 

